


Say It Right

by livin_la_vida_fandom



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Based on prompts, Dorks in Love, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, I Love You, Light Angst, One Shot Collection, for the 3rd chapter, thought why not, was cleaning out my computer and found them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:08:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27331003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livin_la_vida_fandom/pseuds/livin_la_vida_fandom
Summary: Lukanette one-shots based on "I love you" prompts I found years ago on tumblr and then saved on my computer. Ratings may change and/or vary, but there will be nothing explicit.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 16
Kudos: 34





	1. I'll Look After You

**Author's Note:**

> Is that me starting another collection that I may never finish??? WHAT A SUPRISE.
> 
> Anyway, like it said in the summary, I was looking through old stuff I saved on my computer and I found these, and they seemed interesting, so I said /fine/, I'll do it, even though I have a few wips that are sitting on my computer and judging me. Also I have college responsibilities but eff those right?
> 
> Basically these are "the way you said I love you" prompts and before every chapter I'll specify which prompt I used. This time, it was "as a thank you".
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Okay, so", Luka said as he entered Marinette's room, three giant bags in his arms, "I brought you the fabric you needed and the other materials; I also bought you a new pack of needles, because I saw that your needle-box was surprisingly empty”, he listed off, emptying the contents of the bags onto a chair in the corner of the room. Marinette didn't look up in his direction, but she let out a huge relieved sigh.

“You are an absolute _savior_ , Luka Couffaine, you know that?”

Luka chuckled but didn’t respond, and instead continued to separate the things he bought into piles of _“needed immediately”_ and _“for later”_.

Some short time ago, Marinette received an urgent commission that broke all the rules of civility and common sense – in short, the customer needed an attire created _from scratch_ in such an amount of time that Marinette would have had to _clone_ herself to get the job done at a reasonable pace, and even then she’d have ended up exhausted by the end of it. As things stood, she _couldn’t_ clone herself – and by that she meant that she wasn’t _allowed_ \- and she would have very well refused the commission, _with good reason_ , had it not been for the fact that she was being commissioned by a relatively important figure in Paris' rising fashion scene. Marinette added two and two, weighed the pros and the cons, and decided that having that name (she wasn't allowed to say which one yet) written down in her portfolio as a satisfied customer _was_ worth a couple of sleepless nights. She was a _very_ young designer, after all, and rejecting an offer like that didn’t exactly seem smart to Marinette.

Luka definitely didn't share her views. Of course, the fact stood that Marinette was only a beginner and that this _was_ a huge opportunity for her, but Luka, as a worried and caring fr- _boyfriend_ , felt that someone who had so little regard for other people’s time didn’t deserve to be graced with one of Marinette’s designs. But oh well, he was biased, and she knew what was best for her career better than he did, so Luka never said anything, but made sure he was always there when needed, like in the case of this emergency.

Things were going pretty great, all factors considered. That is until, in a bout of drowsiness, Marinette managed to spill coffee all over one of the materials – an off-white one, to boot – and of course, spiraled into an understandably panicked state. Her parents were manning the bakery, which had been particularly busy for the last couple of days, so she couldn't ask _them_ for help, and Alya was out of town (because that was _just her luck_ ), and honestly, she didn’t really trust anyone with the task-

-except for her _boyfriend_ , Luka.

( _And that was a very recent development, and neither of them was quite used to it yet-_ )

Of course, he was more than happy to help, and he listened _extremely_ carefully; Luka understood the importance of getting the right materials. Luckily, Marinette found a shop's online store, and the only thing Luka really needed to do was pick up the item Marinette asked them to put aside for her and make sure that it was the right one. Aside from that, he was to pick up a few more things that weren't an emergency but _could_ come in handy. While he was browsing through the aisles, he spotted the needles and decided to buy them too – apparently, nervous Marinette sometimes managed to _break_ the needles, usually with the help of her machine. _Usually_.

So now he was back from his little excursion, and he brought everything that was needed, like a good boyfriend. But Luka didn’t want to be a good boyfriend – he wanted to be a _great_ boyfriend.

Marinette, when she’d become focused on a project, would oftentimes forget to function like a normal person, unless reminded. Her parents shook their heads at this behavior but were nevertheless always there to bring her food, or remind her to take a shower, and sometimes even force her to sleep. Luka couldn't be there every second of the day – they _definitely_ weren’t at that stage yet – but he, too, wanted to do his part in helping Marinette and taking care of her, when she’d forget to take care of herself.

He knows she’d do the same for him, after all.

( _Also he_ maybe knows _that she takes care of so many people, it was only fair she be taken care of as well._

Maybe _._ )

“I talked to your mom yesterday”, Luka said casually, as he started emptying the third bag. “She said you barely ate anything in the last two days.”

Marinette snorted.

"So now the two of you conspire against me behind my back, huh", she teased. She still wasn't looking at Luka. He shook his head fondly.

“If conspiring _against you_ meant that we could do something _for you_ , you know neither your mother nor I would think twice about doing it.”

“Yeah”, Marinette answered, lips spreading into a soft smile, and then she finally turned around – and Luka smirked at the way her jaw dropped.

He _definitely_ didn’t go overboard. He did _not_. Well, maybe he spent a _little more_ than he would usually, but it was for a good cause, and Luka felt no regret at all. Especially when he saw how, after the initial shock, Marinette’s face became one of wonder and delight, and he swore he could see her eyes sparkle.

Considering almost every surface in Marinette's room had been covered by fabric, half-finished parts of the attire, and many, many more things whose names Luka still didn't know (but he would learn, eventually), Luka didn't have a choice but to turn her floor into a picnic spot. He laid out an old, but soft and comfortable blanket he found a few weeks ago in one of many boxes laying around the Liberty. The blanket was a faded orange color, not one of his favorites, but the color was barely seen, anyway. There were too many baskets and boxes and bowls of Marinette's favorite foods, fruits, drinks – Luka brought _everything_ he managed to get his hands on; Marinette's parents helped by baking some of their daughter's favorite pastries, which weren't always what they sold at their bakery.

“Luka…”, Marinette started, not really sure what she wanted to say, but Luka stopped her anyway.

“I’m going to turn on a timer if you want – and I can be here for only half an hour, or forty-five minutes, or even just twenty, but during that time, you’re going to eat everything you can; and later, we’re going to create some safe space on your desk where we can put some of the food, and you won’t have to worry you’ll make a mess again, but you’ll still be able to snack in between short breaks.”

Marinette bit her lip, looking a little unsure but very, _very_ tempted.

“Marinette”, Luka tried again, walking over to her and speaking with a soft voice. “I _know_ how huge and important this commission is to you, but you _can’t_ risk your health this much. You need to take breaks, and you need to eat. Otherwise, what is the point? You won't be at your best, anyway", he argued, and saw that _that_ got through to her – and maybe Luka felt _a little_ annoyed that it was her work, again, that dictated her decisions, but whatever got her to rest.

Marinette took a deep breath, and then sighed, deciding not to argue against her boyfriend; he was right, after all, which was what she said.

“I _do_ feel like my brain may be turning into a mush, and my hands have kinda been shaking for the last few hours."

Luka bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from commenting anything – he knew what it was like to get in the zone and ignore your body's cries – but decided that not only did _she_ need to learn to rest, _he_ had to make sure he did the same because he didn’t want to be called a hypocrite.

“Well then, I think it’s just the right time for a feast”, he opted to say, and Marinette smiled at him, then lowered herself to sit down on one corner of the blanket. Immediately, she forgot about everything other than the delicious treats waiting for her.

“Oh, where to even _start_?”, she exclaimed, and then proceeded to attack the dishes with a cute – and relieving – ferocity. Luka couldn’t help the loving smile blooming on his face, but Marinette didn’t notice it, and admittedly, Luka felt a little relieved – he didn’t want to scare her off with the intensity of his feelings. They were just getting started, and he may have been in love with her long before they decided to be in a relationship, but that didn’t mean he had any right to expect more than what they had at the moment – and he was _very_ happy with what they had. Just as he was fighting the overwhelming urge to drown her in affection, however, Marinette dropped a bomb on him.

“I _really_ needed this, ugh, _I love you_ , Luka”, she said as she was biting into one of her favorite sandwiches, and Luka froze on the spot. His face flushed, a dark, dark red, and he felt a little dizzy at the sudden rush of blood into his head. Marinette, however, showed no indication of being aware of what she did – what she _said_ , so Luka took deep, shaky breaths, but tried to be as silent as possible, so as not to call her attention.

He figured she didn’t think about what she said – she was just really tired, and really grateful, and she probably thanked her parents by saying she loved them all of the time. It wasn’t a big deal, Luka tried to reason with himself. It was just a reflex reaction, and it didn’t _actually_ mean anything – well, maybe not _anything_ , but not _that_ – and so there was no need to freak out, or freak _her_ out, by trying to gauge what it all meant for their current relationship.

* * *

Luka stayed with Marinette for exactly thirty-three minutes after that, before she hugged him tight, apologized for practically kicking him out ( _“You’re_ busy _, Marinette, you don’t have to apologize”_ ), and sent him off with a promise that she’d take more regular breaks, and that she’d eat better.

“I’ll text you more often, too”, she promised with a smile, and after she assured him that that would be no problem at all, and that she would be doing that because she _wanted_ to, not because she felt like she had to, Luka left Marinette’s house in a daze, prompting her father to raise an eyebrow at him. Marinette’s mother just chuckled, shaking her head affectionately. She _did_ decide to quickly check in on her daughter, to see if she needed anything else and if she was in a better mood than she was in for the last few days.

She saw her daughter lying on the floor, kicking with her legs furiously, hair messed up from where she (well, Sabine _hoped_ it was Marinette herself – she chose to _believe_ it was Marinette herself) pulled on it. Her hands were currently hiding her face, but she could see the redness beneath, and when she managed to discern her daughter’s embarrassed, high pitched whispers of _“I can’t believe I said that, I can’t believe I said that, I can’t believe-“_ , Sabine had all the information she needed. She left before Marinette noticed her, hand on her heart, and smiled.

When her husband asked her did anything happen, Sabine chuckled, murmured _“young love”_ , and then kissed him on the cheek before taking her place at the cash register.


	2. Miss Me Miss Me Now You Gotta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prompt this time is saying "I love you" from far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally the first time I have absolutely NO idea what to write in the notes, so I'm just gonna say, as always, hope you enjoy the story! 😆

“Good morning!”, Marinette greeted enthusiastically through the phone, making Luka smile.

“It’s good afternoon here”, he replied, looking up at the sun from their apartment’s tiny balcony. Marinette huffed, and Luka could imagine her rolling her eyes at him.

“I knew that you would answer like that, but still, you could have been a little less cliché”, she said, and Luka chuckled.

“I couldn’t resist, sorry. How did you sleep last night?”

“I passed out as soon as I hit the bed”, Marinette replied, and Luka, even though she couldn’t see him, nodded in understanding. Jet lag was horribly tiring, and Marinette had to travel with _Audrey and Chloe_ of all people. The two of them were as exhausting as taking two planes in a row, so add to that flying _for real_ and you’ve got yourself a combination capable of draining the strength of even the most endurable person. Marinette herself had a lot of stamina, but even she had her limits. Namely, talking to stuck-up people (even if both of them _were_ trying to be better people who were less prone to causing akumatizations left and right. Not that there _were_ many left since Hawkmoth’s defeat.)

“How was traveling with the mother-daughter duo?”, Luka decided to poke the sleeping lion.

The silence that ensued confirmed his suspicions. His _new_ suspicion was that Marinette would have killed him with her eyes at that moment, had he been next to her. Maybe she would have used her hands, too.

“Well, you know”, Luka tried to encourage, “it’s only five more days.”

“Five more _hours_ is too much. I’ve already had to see Chloe’s face first thing this morning and- look, I don’t want to talk about _them_ now”, she sighed, and Luka could hear a pout in her voice. “I called you to hear _you_. I miss you.”

Luka chuckled.

"It's only been a day, Marinette", he teased affectionately, even though he was also missing her already. It wasn't like this was the first time they've been apart from each other, but that didn't mean they had to like it. Getting used to it was one thing, being okay with it another. But Marinette's job had her traveling relatively often, and even though Luka didn't end up choosing the path that would have led to him spending months away on tour, he still traveled from time to time, to meet up with his clients, or play at some festival in France.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that”, she told him in a voice that suggested she was losing her patience, and Luka finally decided to lay off of teasing her. She may have gotten enough sleep, but that didn’t mean she would be as pleasant and cheerful and loving as she usually was. She _was_ going to be busy for the next five days, stuck with two women she barely tolerated (one of which was her _boss_ ), running back and forth from one meeting to another to suck up to other fashion moguls.

(“We won’t be _sucking up_!”, Chloe indignantly protested. Marinette rolled her eyes when the blonde couldn’t see her.)

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop the teasing now, I’m turning flirting and adoring on to the max”, Luka whispered, going for charming, but the groan from the other end of the line told him he failed.

“You _still_ sound like you’re teasing me”, Marinette sighed, seemingly reconciling with the fact that this phone call wasn’t going to be romantic. Luka chuckled, leaning on the rails and gripping them a bit.

“I’m sorry. Defense mechanism, I guess”, he laughed, and then added softly, “I really miss you, too.”

The content sigh Marinette let out told him that that was everything she really wanted to hear, so naturally, Luka had to up the stakes.

“I love you”, he whispered lovingly, the way he would if she was right in front of him and he was cupping her cheek. He heard a sharp intake of breath from Marinette, and then a whine.

“Unfair, Couffaine. Now I miss you _more._ ”

“Good”, Luka smirked, and then closed his eyes. “It’s not as great as when I tell you in person”, he sighed, gripping the rails a bit tighter. “That’s the first thing I’m going to tell you when I pick you up at the airport.”

“Good”, Marinette mirrored his previous statement. Luka could hear the affection in her voice, and he was completely overcome with the urge to kiss her. He pressed his knuckles to his lips to calm the desire, but it worked minimally. There was some rustling on the other end and Luka wasn’t sure whether his imagination kicked into overdrive, or he really heard Marinette press a soft kiss to the speaker. He didn’t know what was worse.

"Luka", she said in a breathy voice, and Luka swallowed a lump in his throat. "I love you", Marinette told him, and yes, she was right, it was completely unfair. Luka groaned, and Marinette giggled. "Payback", she said, but there was so much softness in her voice that Luka was sure revenge was the last thing on her mind when she reflected his words at him.

A somewhat shrill _“Marinette!”_ made both of them wince, and an irritable noise left Marinette’s mouth.

"I have to go", she said, annoyed and resigned, but Luka knew she wouldn't be in that mood for long. Marinette was a professional, and she loved her job, and not even a slightly less than optimal boss, her _definitely_ less than optimal daughter and a bunch of stuck up figures of power could break her spirit once she threw herself into the business.

“Knock ‘em dead, beautiful. Talk to you soon.”

“Bye beautiful”, Marinette replied, and with a loud smooching sound ended the call. Luka grinned, and throwing one last look at the sky, went back to their apartment to work on a new melody.


	3. (Don't) Lie to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: saying I love you without meaning it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I'm going to avoid angst as much as I can, I'm definitely not going to write all the angsty prompts, but this one I had an idea for so I had to roll with it. It isn't even as angsty as it is... bittersweet? A little angry? Not irreparably bad, is what I'm going for, I guess. Marinette kinda lets her anxieties lead her a bit and Luka gets pissed.
> 
> (Also, this bish /needs/ to stop writing everything from Luka's pov, sheesh, talk about picking favorites!)
> 
> Hope you enjoy! (And don't get too mad at me!)

Luka believed that the first time Marinette told him she loved him, he would be so overwhelmed with happiness he’d start crying. Maybe he would try to hide it, so he'd hug her and quickly wipe away the tears falling from his eyes like waterfalls. Maybe he'd let her see them because he wasn't afraid of showing his emotions – especially if said emotion was his love for her.

He was a little embarrassed to admit his thoughts strayed towards that moment relatively often, even though he tried to stop himself. He never wanted to make Marinette feel pressured, or like what she was giving him wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to rush her into anything; we all had our own pace, and Luka was more than willing to wait for Marinette. He’d waited for her to start seeing him as something more than a friend, anyway. He’d waited for her to give them a chance.

Sometimes, Luka wondered what he looked like to the people watching from the sidelines. Stupid? Desperate? _Creepy?_

He really hoped it wasn’t the last option.

* * *

When Marinette bashfully asked him out on a date – a _real_ date, not a friend-date, or _“I need you to come with me to my crush’s date so I don’t end up third-wheeling”_ date – Luka had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming (he didn't let Marinette see that, though). Luka remembered it was a chilly day, and clouds were gathering over their heads, so Marinette and he had decided to cut their little _friendly_ outing short. Luka loved spending time with Marinette, but he knew she always got into a weird mood when it rained, so he didn’t try to convince her to come to the Liberty – let alone let _him_ come to _her_ house. He was standing in front of her door, and they exchanged a quick kiss on the cheek, and Luka was about to leave and, frankly, start running towards his houseboat, when Marinette had caught his sleeve just as he was turning around.

 _“Um”_ , she’d started, looking down and biting her lip. Luka, even though he didn’t know what exactly it was that she was going to say, felt his heart speed up ten times, almost as if _it_ already knew. _“There’s an, um, there’s an exhibition at a nearby gallery this Saturday and- I mean, it’s about clothes through history so I don’t- you probably wouldn’t find it that interesting, but I was thinking, um, I was thinking that we could go and, later, if you want to, we could- we could go out for coffee or something.”_ She blurted the last part out so quickly Luka had barely managed to catch it, but he heard her. Not believing his ears, though, he had to ask her to make sure.

“ _Marinette”_ , he asked and his voice had trembled, even though he willed it not to, _“are you inviting me as a friend, or…?”_ Marinette was still looking down, and she was still holding his sleeve. She nodded, timidly, and Luka felt like he was being swept off his feet- but then she had to raise her eyes to him, and look at him directly, and smile a sweet, slightly mischievous smile. _“Or”_ , she replied. Luka had to try very hard to restrain himself and not squeeze her, or whoop at the top of his lungs. Instead, he gave her a wide smile, unabashedly smitten, and told her he’d love that very much. They looked at each other for a few moments in silence, before lightning struck above them and then thunder was heard, reminding them both that Luka needed to get home quickly.

When she let go of his sleeve, after that lightning had made them jump, she looked a little dazed, but Luka, in his ecstasy, believed that it was simply because she had been startled. He gave her one last smile before he turned around and started running. _“Wait”_ , Marinette had called after him, _“don’t you need an umbrella?”_ Luka waved her off, shouted at her not to worry, and continued running as fast as his legs could. The imminent rainfall was only a minor part of the reason.

* * *

Things were progressing great from then on. They’d went on a lot more dates, and they held hands, and they hugged a lot, and they kissed quite a bit too. Luka would never tell anyone, but he _would_ feel a bit prideful when he’d leave her breathless, chasing after him for one more kiss.

Her parents seemed to like him well enough, and after Marinette had told him about that one episode with her dad, Luka felt very grateful. Although Mrs. Cheng was not to be trifled with, either. Luka was pretty sure she’d threatened him once, but veiled that threat _masterfully_ so that no one would suspect. His mother, as expected, didn’t have much to say except _“seems like a good lass”_ , and Juleka, after coming to terms with some of the weirdness of the situation (her brother was dating her friend, whom Juleka had been actively helping pursue _another guy_ for at least a year), accepted the idea of the two of them as a couple with open arms. Luka’s friends were all happy for him (although they’d teased him about dating a younger girl), and most of Marinette’s classmates, at least those that mattered, were very supportive of them as well. Alya wasn’t too keen on the development, Luka had to notice with a bit of regret, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He did his best to get along with her, as one of Marinette’s best (or at least, _closest_ ) friends, and for the most part, he seemed to be succeeding. Actually, more often than not, Luka had a feeling Alya wasn’t looking at _him_ as if he’d done anything wrong, or as if he _was_ the wrong one. He’d get an unpleasant feeling in his gut if he thought too long about it, though, so he tried to ignore it.

Adrien took the two of them dating extremely well. _“Almost too well”_ , Luka’s traitorous mind would sometimes whisper, but he ignored that too. Adrien was in a happy relationship with Kagami, and he’d _never_ shown any romantic interest in Marinette (which caused her a lot of pain in the past, but Luka hoped that the present with him more than made up for it). He’d often see the three of them – Marinette, Kagami, and Adrien – talking and laughing together, and how could anyone feel anything but softness and fondness, seeing them getting along so well?

(Alya, he thought, Alya didn’t feel the fondness; again, _again_ , Luka ignored his thoughts.)

* * *

Luka told Marinette he loved her on their six-month anniversary, adding that there was absolutely no need for her to respond right away.

 _“I just wanted you to know how I feel”_ , he told the blushing and stuttering, beautiful mess of a girl in front of him. _“I don’t need to hear you say it back – not now – not right away. I know you still need time. I’m willing to give it. Ugh, I hate how pretentious that sounds”_ , he sighed, and Marinette giggled, although Luka could hear a slight panic in her voice, and maybe even a sniffle. _“Please, Marinette”_ , he’d taken her hand and kissed her knuckles, _“take these words only as a sign that you are amazing and wonderful and so, so lovely. I don’t want to make you feel bad because I love you”_ , he half-joked, but maybe he felt a little pang at having to soften the blow of his feelings.

 _“I don’t- You’re not-”_ , she stuttered, and then she took a deep breath and looked him right in the eyes, sending him a soft smile Luka was delighted to know she kept only for him. _“That makes me really happy, Luka._ You _make me happy.”_ She chewed on her lower lip – Luka’s eyes flickered briefly to it – and then, in a quiet voice said, _“I hope I make you half as happy as you make me.”_

Luka smiled widely, taking both of her hands in his, and leaning forward to kiss her forehead. _“You do”_ , he whispered against it. _“You do”_ , he repeated even more quietly, and Marinette raised on her tiptoes to kiss him. Luka counted that kiss as one of his favorites.

* * *

It was a sunny day when Marinette asked him, in all her nervous glory, to accompany her for a walk. Luka, a little confused but always happy to spend more time with Marinette, accepted her invitation, and less than an hour after that phone call, they found themselves walking in silence along a tree-path in one of Paris’ less frequented parks. Luka didn’t mind the quiet – he _himself_ was quiet – but there was something about that silence that made him nervous. Marinette was jumpier than usual, she barely looked him in the eyes since they'd met up, and Luka could feel a slight tremor running through her entire body from the hand he was holding. He was starting to get very worried. A thousand scenarios went through his head, none of them good, before Marinette stopped in her tracks, making him jerk a little at the sudden motion. Because he was so preoccupied with his thoughts, Luka wasn't paying attention to where they were going, so the sight in front of him managed to take his breath away.

It was greenery and all the other colors of spring all around him. The air smelled fresh and flowery, and Luka could even hear birds chirping – a rarity in a big city such as Paris. Marinette shifted next to him, effectively bringing his attention back to her; Luka was smiling widely.

“Do you- do you like it?”, Marinette asked nervously. Luka squeezed her hand, and she looked up at him.

“I _love it_ , Marinette. It's so beautiful", Luka responded, and Marinette smiled, relieved, and then she turned around to tell him about how she'd discovered the place.

“–and, well, I know it inspires _me_ , so I thought, it would probably inspire _you_ too- ”, Marinette was finishing up, and Luka was looking at her completely enamored, touched that she would share this place with him, and then-

“I thought it was the perfect spot”, Marinette mumbled, and Luka was about to ask her, _“the perfect spot for what?”_ , when Marinette turned to stand directly across him, hand still holding his, a look of determination on her face.

“Luka”, she started, spreading her lips into a smile, “I love you.”

Luka felt the air leave his lungs; his entire body started trembling, and he was about to start crying-

-except, he made a mistake of looking thoroughly at Marinette.

Her body language was all wrong.

She was smiling, and Luka knew she was trying to go for that smile she always sent him, but this time, it didn’t feel right. The smile didn’t reach her eyes – they looked far too nervous and avoidant, like she was _forcing_ _herself_ to keep his gaze. Her hand gripped his a little too tightly, the distance between them was unnatural, and her whole body was slightly – only _slightly_ because she was very obviously trying to control it with _every nerve_ in her body – shifted to the side, like she wanted to run away.

Luka felt sick.

He'd told her, a million times, that he was willing to wait. He had told her that there was no pressure and that she could go at her own pace. He had fought, countless times, against the thoughts that _nothing_ she had said or done had been real, that she had been forcing herself all along, that he was _“a rebound, nothing more than a rebound, a pass-time, a medicine to cure her heartache”_. Alya’s barely hidden disapproval and her forced smile permeated his thoughts and he shoved them violently aside, afraid they’d make him angrier than he was.

He forced himself to try and be rational. Marinette wasn’t just _using_ him – she _wasn’t_. She felt _something_ for him, Luka was sure-

 _“It just wasn’t love”_ , his mind told him resignedly.

Marinette's façade was starting to crumble, and she was emitting even more nervous energy than before. She was getting worried, Luka mused. He'd been quiet for too long. On instinct, he did what he did best – masked his feelings to protect others. He made his lips spread into a slow smile and crinkled his eyes. His thumb brushed the back of Marinette's hand, and he took a small step towards her.

He hoped he was a better actor than her.

Marinette seemed to relax, and her smile turned true – truer than the one she’d gifted him with before – and Luka felt his eyes prickle.

He hugged her, tight (Marinette returned the embrace), and overwhelmed with bitterness, Luka let his tears fall down like waterfalls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically, what I was thinking here is not that Marinette is faking her feelings /completely/, just that she's rushing ahead - she got scared that she wasn't giving Luka enough, and that he was feeling unsatisfied, so she decided to do a Marinette special, that is, to create an incredibly romantic situation, and then mess things up. Luka, on his side, has to fight with /his/ insecurities, which is why, even though he understood most of the things swimming through Marinette's mind, he got angry because the first time she told him she loved him, she was /lying/.
> 
> I like to think that things are kind of uncomfortable and rough for a while before they talk it out, and from then on, Luka is more open with his feelings and his dislikes and Marinette is more confident and less prone to think about him leaving her because she isn't enough.
> 
> Lastly, I don't think Marinette told Alya anything, just that Alya was still, at least with a part of her heart, rooting for adrinette so she was a bit more skeptical and analytical of Marinette's feelings towards Luka. Because in this household we don't pay much attention to canon, Alya eventually warms up to Luka and her and Marinette also sort things out and are great friends again.
> 
> Wow that's a long end note. Thank you for reading both my story and my rambling, and see you next time! 😂


	4. Sweet Treats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Saying "I love you" while baking chocolate chip cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am usually a fan of night time but it's /utterly ridiculous/ how quickly the sun disappears; I have no motivation to do anything (and by anything, aside from writing, I mean STUDYING too, which is bad, so hopefully I'll get at least some of my energy back soon).
> 
> Also now I am craving choco cookies.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this senseless fluff!

“Luka, the fact that Maman and Papa aren’t here doesn’t mean we should make a complete mess out of the kitchen”, Marinette said, trying to sound stern, but coming off amused and playful.

“Sorry”, Luka apologized, but his apology was as sincere as her attempt at chiding him. Marinette smiled, bopped him on the nose, then returned to the wet ingredients she was in charge of, while Luka was still trying to measure the right amount of flour and baking soda. Her parents had left for a short weekend getaway, and they left Marinette in charge of the house, while the bakery was closed for the moment. However, that didn’t mean Marinette couldn’t do some baking at home; and having her boyfriend join her only made things more fun.

It was wintertime, so it was cold outside – that meant no long walks, even though it was one of their favorite things to do – but Marinette didn't feel like going to a café, or somewhere similar for their weekly date. Instead, she suggested they spend the day in her house, baking sweets and watching movies, playing games, or simply spending time together while they worked on their projects. Luka was thrilled with the idea. Marinette was _so_ thrilled with the idea of spending an entire day with Luka, that it gave her enough courage to ask her parents if he could sleep over. Marinette knew Anarka would have no problems with Luka spending the night (she let Juleka go to Rose’s house fairly often, and Rose was always a welcome guest), but she didn’t know how her parents would feel. They both liked Luka well enough, and he and Marinette had been dating for almost ten months now, so they’d gotten to _know_ _him_ very well too. She hoped they could see Luka was trustworthy, and more importantly, Marinette hoped they knew _she_ was trustworthy, but she wouldn’t blame them for not letting their teenage daughter spend a night with her boyfriend, _unsupervised_.

Her mother surprised her when, after a short silence during which she was obviously thinking things through, she agreed to Marinette’s request. Her father protested, but Sabine had dragged him out of the living room to their bedroom to discuss things. Marinette didn’t know what exactly her parents had talked about, but when they came back, her father gave his approval as well, although they let her know that if she betrayed their trust, there would be serious consequences. Marinette squealed in delight and hugged her parents, promising she would prove they were right to have faith in her, and then she ran up the stairs to her room to call Luka and let him in on her plan. It was only then that she remembered _he_ might not be comfortable with the idea, but when she assured him it was alright for him to refuse her, Luka had simply chuckled and said that he would never miss an opportunity to spend more time with her. He had also, graciously, stopped her before she went into a spiral trying to explain that she didn’t mean _anything_ by having him sleep over. Marinette was grateful for that. She loved Luka, and she definitely wanted to _“take their relationship to the next level”_ sometime in the future, but she wasn’t ready for it yet. Luka assured her he was in no hurry, and that he himself would prefer it if they took things slowly. When Marinette jokingly said, _“Maybe not_ too _slowly”_ , she was rewarded with a loud, slightly embarrassed laugh, which further contributed to her good mood.

With everything arranged and permissions granted, all that was left was for Marinette to wait excitedly for Saturday to come. Her parents were set to leave Friday afternoon, and Luka had come to talk with them in person before they left for their trip. Marinette was happy to see that earned him some brownie points – her father gave her a thumbs up when Luka couldn't see. Soon after they left, Luka did too, leaving her with a kiss and an _“I’m looking forward to tomorrow”_. Marinette stood on the corner of the street, waving him off until she could no longer see him, after which she entered her house and did a little victory dance. Tikki happily joined her, and the two of them ran around the house for a while before they tired themselves out.

(Tikki was supposed to stay hidden for the entire day; Marinette apologized but her kwami assured her there would be no ill feelings, as long as Marinette managed to smuggle some cookies – and as long as she had as much fun as possible.)

Luka came over for late breakfast, and immediately after they ate, Marinette snuggled up to him; they spent an hour or so sharing soft kisses and cuddling. Later, they played some video games – Marinette kicked his butt – and lunchtime came in the blink of an eye. Marinette would have been sad that time was passing so quickly, and that the day (and the night) would end soon, but she knew that this was only the first of many days spent together to come. The thought made her blush and her heart race, but she didn’t try to fight either of those things. When Luka noticed her red face and her loving smile, he came over and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl, and Marinette congratulated herself on once again making the right decision and letting her feelings be written all over her face.

Luka was a novice when it came to baking, so they agreed they wouldn't be making anything complicated. They bought the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies a few days prior and were now wrestling with them in an attempt to turn them into a delicious treat. Well, Luka was wrestling – to Marinette, baking came as easily as breathing (and easier than being a superheroine). While she was elegantly moving around the kitchen, her natural clumsiness lowered to a minimum next to Luka’s calming presence, he was kicking up a cloud of flour and cocoa powder, managing to get some all over his apron and clothes, and some even reached his hair.

“If you need any help, just say so”, Marinette told him after she was done teasing him, but Luka shook his head. “I got it”, he assured her, and although the proof of how much he _didn’t_ have it was lying all around them, Marinette let him figure things out on his own, while she reached for her phone.

“Music?”, she asked, and Luka hummed his agreement. When he managed to measure the exact amount of flour written in the recipe (even though Marinette had told him many times there was no need for him to be so precise, they were making cookies for themselves, and not a professional use), he started singing along to the cheerful pop song Marinette’s phone was currently playing. Marinette laughed when he pulled her into a short dance and kissed him on the cheek when he let her go, both of them finishing up their tasks before mixing all the ingredients.

“I don’t really like using the mixer, but we can make an exception this time; it’s going to be faster”, Marinette commented.

"A true bakers' daughter", Luka laughed. She stuck her tongue out at him but smiled as she hummed her own tune, the sound of music no longer reaching her ears due to the noise the mixer was making. While she was finishing up the batter, Luka cleaned up the mess they – well, mostly _him_ – made in the kitchen, and checked to see if the oven heated up to the appropriate temperature.

“It’s going to be ready by the time we finish shaping the dough”, Luka let Marinette know. She pulled out the mixer, checking to see if all the ingredients mixed up nicely, and satisfied with the results, she nodded.

“We can start now.”

Marinette's plan was to make enough cookies for the two of them, but also Tikki, and enough for her parents to at least try one when they get back. Luka, however, didn’t know that half of the batch was meant for the kwami, so Marinette wouldn't have been surprised if he'd commented on the number of sweets they were making. He didn't say anything, though; he only asked if she wanted him to make smaller cookies, or bigger ones.

“Smaller, I guess”, she replied, and he obliged.

The cookies were set to bake for around fifteen minutes. As Luka made sure to clean up after him, there wasn’t much left to do. When Marinette finished up washing the last of the dirty dishes, she turned around to see Luka standing with his hand offered to her. "I thought we could continue our dance", he joked. Marinette parodied a curtsy, then took his hand. They swayed in each other's arms more than they danced, letting the gentle sounds of music wash them over. Luka hummed along before he started singing, softly, just for Marinette to hear – even though there was no one else around them. These tender moments were one of Marinette’s favorites, but honestly, any moment she spent with Luka was worthy of the title of “favorite”. He made her feel safe and calm, loved and understood. After everything she’d been through, she needed a safe haven, and that was exactly what Luka was to her. Sometimes she feared he didn’t understand how much he meant to her, and just how fast she was falling for him. Marinette wanted him to feel just as loved as she felt, and she wanted to give him whatever he needed, the same way he gave _her_ everything she asked for, and everything she didn’t.

“Luka”, she whispered, unwilling to break the softness of the moment. He lowered his eyes to her and hummed a question. Marinette felt she would never tire of hearing him hum, or speak, or sing. “I love you.” She held his gaze, and her insides twisted just as pleasantly as the first two times she said it. Luka’s eyes didn’t raise in delighted surprise this time, and although she would miss seeing that face of bewildered joy, the quiet, content happiness his eyes radiated was just as magical, and no less powerful. He kissed her, soft and slow, and pulled away with a satisfied sigh.

“I love you too”, he murmured, eyes closed, and Marinette was about to reach for his lips again when the timer sounded off. She jumped up in surprise and almost hit his nose with the top of her head, but Luka managed to move away in time, laughing.

“Talk about horrible _timing_ ”, he joked. Marinette narrowed her eyes and decided that maybe Viperion and Chat should spend _less_ time together. Luka went to pick up the oven mittens, and just a few moments later, the entire kitchen smelled of sweetness and joy, stretching the lips of both teenagers (and one kwami).

That evening, when they cuddled up on her bed in their pajamas, stomachs full of delicious food and sweet treats (which were also Tikki approved), Marinette fell asleep to soft kisses planted across her nose and cheeks, warm and comfortable. She dreamt of many nights spent just like this, in Luka’s loving embrace, and mornings where she woke up to shining blue eyes and whispers of love.

(When her parents had returned, she offered them the fruits of her and Luka's labor. They, the professionals they were, offered some advice on how to better the cookies next time, but still smiled proudly at her. "They're delicious, Marinette. You two did a great job", her mother said, and Marinette had a feeling she was complimenting more than just the sweets she was eating.)


End file.
